


The Name Game

by GoodbyeBlueMonday



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Backstory, Canon Compliant, Engagement, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Marriage, Name Changes, Near Future, Self-Indulgent, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Victor's backstory is sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 17:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11189919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodbyeBlueMonday/pseuds/GoodbyeBlueMonday
Summary: It's the discussion every soon-to-be-married couple must have at some point: what to do with their names.Yuuri and Victor take an interesting route to that decision.(Rated T for discussion of boners/masturbation and Yurio's swearing.)





	The Name Game

Yuuri Katsuki had first figured out that his attraction to Victor Nikiforov was more than...admiration, when he was about 13.

Victor was skating in his first Senior European Championships, and had chosen a particularly sexy routine. His free skate was excerpted from Camille Saint-Saëns'  _Bacchanale_ from  _Samson et Dalila_ , and Victor was wearing an incredibly revealing gold and red number. It exposed his skin through gold mesh halfway down his back, and left open the nape of his neck. He swished his hips in a way that was absolutely  _sinful_. Victor rubbed his hands all over his body, like he was turned on by himself. ( _Who wouldn't be?_ Yuuri thought.) It all did...things...to Yuuri's body chemistry. And, particular parts of his anatomy. He hoped that Yuuko and Takeshi believed him when he rushed to the bathroom "to pee."

As soon as Yuuri mentally came to terms with this, and the whole issue of being attracted to other boys in general, he just decided to launch headfirst into his crush on Victor. It wasn't like it was going to  _go anywhere_ , after all, so he may as well have fun with it.

One of those was the time-honored tradition of teenage girls everywhere: doodling your name with your crush's last name. Yuuri wasn't a  _girl_ , of course, but he figured the rules could be bent for same-sex couples. He'd seen Yuuko doing this with Takeshi's name, when she thought he wasn't looking, and the girls at school were all into wearing shirts now that advertised them as "Mrs." for various famous celebrity last names. Yuuri couldn't be bothered to keep up with who were the latest drama stars and idol groups, but he knew those names were from there somewhere.

Whatever. There was only one man for Yuuri. Even if he'd never know it.

So of course, his notes were filled with hearts describing himself as "Yuuri Nikiforov." Yuuri knew it could be the other way around -- Victor could take his name -- but he figured Victor wouldn't want anything to do with his run-of-the-mill name. Victor was a special person, a king, the rising star of international skating, and Yuuri loved the idea of his name being joined to some piece of his persona. Maybe, by extension, that would make Yuuri special.

_No. Who am I kidding?_

He'd do it at home, on blank pieces of paper, next to his growing poster wall of Victor. Yuuri would think of leaving them under his mattress, but then worry about Mari or his parents finding them. He couldn't deal with that. So he crumpled them up and threw them away, turning to the wall in embarrassment. Before he proceeded to do, well,  _more_ embarrassing things. But at least normal teenage boy things. Even if he didn't exactly have a normal teenage boy target.

Mari found the papers, and proceeded to tease Yuuri about them, anyway.

* * *

11 years later, Yuuri found himself reminded of those crumpled papers.

Because now he was considering this  _for real_.

Yuuri had become less starry-eyed as he'd come to know Victor. They'd settled into the routines of domestic couplehood, arguing over whose turn it was to the dishes or the laundry or walk Makkachin. Yuuri was getting to the point where even Victor's more "human," less glamorous habits were endearing, like how he drooled all over his pillow (which could sometimes mean Yuuri). Still, there were times when he looked at his fiancé and couldn't believe how lucky he was.

And there were times when Victor reminded him of their impending marriage that made Yuuri lose his mind in  _This is real. I can't believe this_ all over again. 

Like one abrupt question over dinner:

"What do you want to do about our names, Yuuri?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, when we get married. You haven't won gold yet, but Four Continents is coming up, and I feel confident you'll beat JJ, Phichit and Otabek again if you keep up your regimen. We should start planning for it."

"Names?"

Victor chuckled. "I mean, do you want to take mine or should I take yours? Or should we hyphenate?"

Yuuri nearly choked on his salad.

"I can't believe we're having this conversation."

Victor smiled. "Why shouldn't we, Yuuri? It's an important part of every marriage, to figure out the names. To figure out how to signify that you're a family to the world! After all, what if we adopt children one day? We should have a name to share with them,  _da_ _?_ "

Yeah, this was one of those times when Yuuri just couldn't believe his luck. Victor Nikiforov was talking about combining names  _with him_. He wanted to share his name  _with Yuuri_ and be a family,  _with Yuuri_.

He should be used to this by now, but there was something about this  _name_ conversation that regressed him to his starstruck teenage self. 

He thought of those crumped-up papers.

Well, at least this wouldn't be a difficult conversation. Yuuri knew what he wanted to do. He loved his family, but he had a special love for Victor. He wanted to be Yuuri Nikiforov. Always had, always would. And now he could.

"What's wrong, Yuurachka? I can tell you're thinking too hard! Are you not ready for this?"

Yuuri sighed. "No, Vitenka, I... I am. I'm sorry."

But he really wasn't. Because that's when Victor dropped the bomb.

"Oh good. Because I was just about to say, I'd really like to take your name."

Wait, _what?_

"Victor Katsuki. Doesn't that just sound so cute?"

* * *

Victor Alexeyevich Nikiforov had never had much of a family.

His mother was Olga Nikiforova, once a great skater herself. In fact, she was a three-time Junior World Champion in pairs. But she'd also been paralyzingly in love with her partner, Alexei, and after too many drinks at a banquet, she'd found herself pregnant by him at the tender age of 17. She was forced to withdraw from skating to raise her son, hoping Alexei would do the same -- but he didn't. He didn't love her, and was too ambitious besides, so he quickly ditched her and Victor to find a new skating partner. They went on to take many gold medals at Europeans and Worlds, plus a bronze at the Lillehammer Olympics, while Olga was left in the dust.

It was a good thing Victor showed an early aptitude for his parents' sport, even if he preferred skating alone. His mother had hope that he could support them on his skating income, especially after he landed a position training with the renowned Yakov Feltsman. It didn't last long, though; Olga died in a car crash when Victor was 12, just beginning his ascent into the world of competitive figure skating. Yakov and Lillia basically raised him after that.

Overall, Victor had lived a very solitary existence, one where he drove all his passions into being the best skater. He distrusted romance as a distraction. He didn't want to end up like his mother. Even once he figured out he only wanted men. It wasn't like unwanted children were the only danger, after all.

But over time, Victor began to ache for something. He couldn't keep love out of his life forever. He also saw how it could inspire other skaters. Even messes like Georgi, constantly bouncing from breakup to breakup, managed to outscore him on artistry with their passions and experiences that Victor lacked. Eventually, even skating itself became dull, rote, going through the motions, as Victor no longer could find a way to surprise anyone. Victor Nikiforov winning gold was just to be expected now, no matter how he did it. Nothing shocking there.

More than he wanted a whirlwind romance, though, Victor also really wanted a family. He wanted a place to come home to, to be supported, to relax and feel like he was someone other than five-time World Champion Victor. Where he could be just Victor, another human with flaws, and interests beyond skating.

Maybe that was why he'd been so taken with Yuuri Katsuki at the Sochi banquet. Yuuri was too cute for words, of course, and downright alluring with how he whirled around on that pole with Chris. Victor had felt a spark when Yuuri took him in his arms in their tango.

But it was really the promise of family, of  _home_ , that Yuuri offered up in his comments about the hot springs resort. He knew nothing except that Yuuri's family owned it, of course, but something about a family-owned resort sounded so cozy and _close_ and loving, like the exact thing Victor had always longed for in his lonely life. So it was just a bonus that it was being offered up by this beautiful,  _eager_ boy, who blazed through all of Victor's defenses.

All in all, Yuuri was like a dream come true.

And when Victor did come to Hasetsu, answering the call of Yuuri's video, it turned out he was right. The Katsukis welcomed Victor like he was one of their own, showing him around the city and sharing meals with him. Yuuri's parents cooked him delicious katsudon. His sister was stand-offish at first, but she warmed to him and soon they were swapping childhood stories of Yuuri and Yurio. Even the people who weren't part of his blood family accepted Victor with open arms. Minako always welcomed Victor into her bar, constantly giving him free drinks even when he said there was no need. Yuuko and Takeshi eagerly opened their rink to him, and quickly got over their starstruck attitudes to talk to him like a friend -- with more cute stories of Yuuri. Victor about melted when Yuuko told him that the triplets looked to him like an uncle.

Victor would sometimes blush about how readily they brought him into their family. He'd been told about Yuuri's childhood crush on him, and looking back, Victor wondered if they'd all figured out something a little too soon. Regardless, the Katsukis were the big, doting family he'd always wanted.

So Victor couldn't wait to be officially a part of it. He couldn't wait to be a Katsuki.

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be what Yuuri had in mind.

* * *

"What... _why_ would you want  _my_ name???"

"Why wouldn't I, Yuuri?" Victor was genuinely confused. "You have such a loving family, and they treat me like I'm already their in-law. Why wouldn't I want to be a part of that family for real?"

"Because...because..." Yuuri struggled for breath. "Your name is special! You're...the most famous skater in the world! You can't just give up your name!!!! Especially for such an ordinary name like mine!"

Ah, yes. The Yuuri Katsuki usual.

"It's special to  _me_ , Yuuri. And names are what we make of them. Besides, it's not like anyone's going to be confused about who Victor Katsuki is when he comes skating on to the ice."

Yuuri sighed. It was a sigh of frustration. But not of resignation.

Not at all.

"Vitya... Let me just put it to you straight."

"Okay!"

"I've wanted to be  _Yuuri Nikiforov_ since I was 13 years old."

Yuuri said it with such determination, such fire in his eyes, that it reminded Victor of the faces he'd get before Yuuri's Eros skates.

Yuuri was sure about this. He wouldn't back down.

He was taken aback. And...to be honest...a bit  _turned on_.

"It appears we are at a bit of a standstill,  _da?_ "

* * *

In the end, both men were so determined to take  _each other's_ names that they had to come to a compromise.

Yuuri Katsuki won gold at Four Continents, just as Victor had hoped, with Otabek taking silver and a surprise bronze from Leo de la Iglesia. JJ had imploded again and came in fourth, while Phichit sustained a bad injury in his short program that kept him from skating the free. Luckily, he recovered quickly enough to fulfill his role as joint Best Man (with Chris) at the wedding.

Yuuri and Victor Katsuki-Nikiforov then conquered the podium at Worlds, with their favorite son, Yuri Plisetsky, accepting his bronze medal with a clearly grumpy face.

"Maybe you should take our name, too, Yurio?" Victor had chirped, right after kissing his new husband on the cheek and flaunting his ring, as gold as Yuuri's medal, to the photographers. "We're such a perfect podium family!"

"Fuck off," Yurio said as he hopped off the podium. It was time to find Otabek.

Thank god the season was over, and now the two lovebirds could fly off to their honeymoon. He'd had more than enough of this. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Here's the piece Victor skates to in this fic.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjRiLKSPbqc&ab_channel=TheWickedNorth) I say "excerpted" because obviously it's way too long for an actual free skate. A lot of classical pieces that skaters use that are long are basically portions or "abridged" versions of the pieces for that reason. I'd think Victor's version would emphasize the last couple minutes or so in particular. ;)
> 
> The "Mrs. [Hot Male Celebrity]" thing was 100% a real dumb fashion trend from the early/mid 2000s and granted, I'm closer in age to Victor than Yuuri so I'm fudging a little with those details, but I can't help but think about it whenever I think of the "doodle your name with your crush's last name" phenomenon.
> 
> Victor might get a canon angsty backstory in the movie/future seasons, but this is mine for him for right now.
> 
> I definitely didn't listen to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv-34w8kGPM&ab_channel=DivinylsVEVO) while writing the part in the beginning about baby Yuuri "relieving himself" in the bathroom to thoughts of Victor.


End file.
